Chapter 10 - THE DOCTOR STANDING INSIDE MY HOUSE
Every person in the room turned toward Dr. Gable.
For eight months, he had examined my children.
He had answered midnight calls.
He had stood three feet away while they screamed beneath the ultrasonic device.
And now my dead wife had named him.
Gable’s face went white.
“Adrien, let me explain.”
Marco immediately positioned himself between the doctor and the doorway.
“You have thirty seconds,” I said.
Gable raised both hands.
“Lucia misunderstood what happened.”
“Then help me understand.”
Years earlier, Gable had been a junior physician with enormous student debt and a gambling problem he claimed had since ended.
Evelyn discovered it.
She began paying him for confidential information.
Not medical records at first.
Schedules.
Appointments.
When Lucia became suspicious of estate documents, Evelyn asked Gable whether pregnancy-related stress could make Lucia appear irrational.
“I never diagnosed her with anything,” he insisted.
“But you discussed her privately.”
“Yes.”
“With Evelyn.”
“Yes.”
My disgust must have shown.
Gable looked down.
“Lucia found out.”
That explained the recording.
“What about her car?”
“I knew nothing.”
“The nursery device?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why did Evelyn keep using you?”
His expression changed.
“Because she asked me to write an evaluation last week.”
My attorney stepped closer.
“About Adrien?”
Gable nodded.
“She wanted me to state that the children’s unexplained distress might be caused by environmental instability and inconsistent caregiving.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
For the first time that night, he met my eyes.
“I refused.”
“Why?”
“Because whatever mistakes I made before, I wasn’t going to lie about three babies.”
Gable reached into his medical bag.
“There’s something else.”
He produced his phone.
After refusing Evelyn, he had begun recording her calls.
The latest recording was from that morning.
Evelyn’s voice was clear.
Tomorrow the judge sees three distressed infants, a criminal father, and a house full of compromised employees. After temporary custody is transferred, the trust gives me authority.
My attorney almost smiled.
“She just explained motive.”
But the recording continued.
Gable’s expression became grim.
Evelyn said:
If the hearing fails, we move to the second plan.
Then Gable asked what that meant.
Her answer made Elena grab Sophie’s shoulders.
“Remove the children from the estate before midnight.”
I looked at the clock.
May you like
11:41 p.m.
We had nineteen minutes.
